A Darkness Downed
by Self-Expulsion
Summary: The destiny islands are to disappear into darkness along with countless other worlds out there and it's up to Sora to fight the darkness and bring back those worlds...but when happens when Sora himself succumbs to the darkness, leaving his most precious friend behind...and the keyblade to choose another bearer?
1. Chapter 1

Sora had been having nightmares for the past few nights. He couldn't put his finger on what it might possibly be that's causing them. So when he woke up in a cold sweat for the nth time he wouldn't have deemed it out of the ordinary, however this time he awoke to find himself lying on the soft sand of the destiny islands. It was the middle of the day in the middle of summer and nothing was more _out of the ordinary_ than the feeling of a chill running down your spine in the warmth of the tropical sun that lay overhead.

It was so bright that Sora lay there only for a second before a reaching a hand out up above him to shield his eyes from the harsh sun, breathing in and out slowly he tried to come to his senses. He was becoming weaker and weaker by day and found himself yawning after every word of conversation. Lately he'd been losing tournaments and races with his friend Riku, which he usually never won anyway, but even he had noticed his own decrease in ability. Feeling he needed to get some sleep somehow, he thought maybe he'd fallen asleep on the beach to try to regain some shuteye, but as Sora wiped a slew of cold sweat from his forehead he sighed and realized that he probably wouldn't have gotten any better of a sleep on the burning sand than in his comfy bed.

"Sora! What are you doing down on the beach?" a familiar voice called from behind. Sora, who was too sit up and turn around to meet the voice, opted for stretching his neck back to greet his friend Riku. Sora lie on his back, watching Riku make his way toward him through upside down eyes. He tried to smile, but he was so taken by sleep he somehow wound up making some off-faced grimace before he found Riku was standing over him. "Sleeping, of course! Kairi's right, you are a lazy bum." He threw his head back in a throaty laugh that exposed his perfect teeth that caught the sun in a shimmer. Sora instantly found himself wincing at the brightness of the refracted light.

Kairi had caught him resting on the beach earlier that day and she'd called him just that—a lazy bum, but not before giggling and hitting Sora over the head as he tried to blab on about one of the nightmares he'd been having. After that he'd trudged around the island exploring for a while before falling back asleep in the same place he'd woken.

With a well-placed hand Sora had blocked the light that had blinded him a moment before. He could see that Riku, still laughing, held a tarp in one hand a rope in the other. Riku's rather mesmerizing laugh was followed by a quick bubbly giggle from Kairi, who Sora had just noticed. A coconut and a couple of mushrooms were cradled in her arms.

It had been Sora's job to collect the supplies for the raft, but since he had dozed off on the beach his friends had taken the liberty to move on with the gathering.

"You guys gathered the supplies without me?" Sora asked, a bit downhearted.

"Well, we couldn't wait all day for you!" Kairi pouted playfully in a way that made Sora's grimace turn into the smile he was trying for. It was no secret that Sora had liked Kairi since she first came to the island. He was a little upset they hadn't woken him up so he could go gather the supplies with them. Because it was also no secret that Riku had liked Kairi since she first came to the island as well, as he seemed to take every chance Sora had with Kairi away.

"But there's one thing we still need." Kairi said through a smile that seemed to brake Sora's train of thought. He didn't mind though, he'd listen to Kairi talk any chance he got, but as he was smiling and ready to listen Riku had come in to finish the thought.

"More like three—we still need to gather the fish…" Sora and Riku had a playful rivalry when it came to Kairi's attention, but Sora swore, sometimes he really set off his nerves. "…and we figured since you were down here anyway you wouldn't mind getting them for us."

If it weren't for Kairi's very _very_ convincing word of "please" Sora would not have found himself trudging around the shallow waters of the ocean looking to catch some fish. More than once, Sora had found himself splashing water on his own face to keep awake, but it seemed as though most of the problem came from the fact that fish were all just _so fast._ Unlike most people, who's most brilliant plans come to them in the deepest hour of the night in the state of not-quite-awake, Sora did not do his best thinking when he was half asleep—because why he had decided to go in the water with his shoes still on was beyond him.

He stepped out of the ocean; shoes pooling with water, pockets filled with flopping fish, skin itchy from the salt water that had dried under his clothes, and so exhausted he thought he was going to collapse. Sora's very next step was followed by a wobbly knee and a sudden surge of gravity. Exhausted out of his mind it took the boy a second to realize he'd not reached the sandy ground on his way down.

Riku's strong arms were wrapped around Sora, his beautiful light green eyes creased into a gentle smile as he looked down upon the tired teen.

"You did good today, you lazy bum." Riku chuckled as he ruffled the front of Sora's hair, whether affectionately or teasingly Sora couldn't tell.

"Riku…" Sora's voice was small and weak and it took all his strength lift his arms, but when he did it was to grab hold of Riku's hand and bring it close to him. Sora's eyes closed while Riku's widened. "I'm so tired…I've been having all these crazy dreams and I can't seem to get any sleep."

"Sora, what's gotten into you?" Riku tried to pull his hand away but Sora held tighter.

"No! I have to have your hand. If I don't—if I don't have your hand then—then I'll lose you! If I don't take your hand when I get the chance I'll be drowning. I'll drown…I'll drown…I'l…I'll…" Sora's voice trailed off as he slipped into a much needed sleep.

"That sounds like some nightmare." Riku smirked watching Sora's ocean blue eyes fall close in front of him. The two of them waited in that moment for a while. The sun had just begun to set, making the ocean look like a sea of fire and seagulls could be heard saying goodnight to each other. The sound of the waves crashing into the nearby rocks, although very soothing, were not at all loud enough to cover the obnoxious sound of flopping fish coming from Sora's pockets. So Riku chuckled to himself and kissed the forehead of his young friend, wishing him sweet dreams and hoping he wouldn't stumble onto any unpleasant nightmares tonight.

Because it was no secret that Riku had liked Sora since the first day they met on the island and any time Sora spared a moment with anyone else but him, he couldn't help but steal it away.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had just set which left Sora's room coated in the leftovers of the sun's warm red glow. He'd always loved this time of day—the time just before it got dark. When you get the feeling that everything's about to disappear…you have to make the most of the light you have left. Sora took a deep breath in, almost as if to inhale the light of the sun, he began to lose himself in his thoughts

He'd awoken just a few moments ago that afternoon in the comfort of his own bed in the comfort of his own room. He had no recollection of how he'd gotten there, the last thing he remembered was catching fish in the ocean. His friends, Riku and Kairi had spent the whole day gathering supplies for the raft they were building together, because although it was _Sora's_ appointed task, the boy had spent the entire day literally sleeping on the job.

It actually wasn't his fault he'd fallen asleep in the middle of his gathering, for the past few days he'd been plagued with nightmares and hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep, but as Sora looked around the room, any anxiety of the day began to fade away. He lay on his back and looked up to the ceiling where a wooden carving of a boat hung. Sora had made it himself when he was younger, when he thought that he and Kairi would sail the seas onto new worlds—it was always what she'd wanted to do. He'd even carved little versions of himself and Kairi and stuck them on the top. Although quite atrocious, Sora had made it when he was still young, and Kairi thought it was cute. As he stare up at the toy in admiration he could hear the words that Kairi had once spoken in his mind, "I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great." It was because of Kairi they were building such a raft to travel to new places.

While wood-carving had always been a passion of Sora's, he found himself working twice as hard after Kairi had mentioned how much she loved the things he made. His desk was littered with shavings and various sizes of wooden blocks lay scattered about his room. He'd even made himself his own dueling sword, two, in fact—when Riku had stolen his to get the 'one-up' on him in tournaments, he had to make another to even the playing field, even if he did still find himself losing as much as he would before.

It wasn't before long Sora had found himself succumbing back to sleep. After he'd confessed to Riku earlier about his nightmares he's found himself more at ease and knew the nightmares would cease. That was one thing, however, he tried not to think about, for if he did then flashes of images would come crawling back to him. Ones he tried to shake away—images of losing his friends, losing Riku…losing Kairi. Images of darkness. There was nothing Sora hated…of feared more than the darkness.

Heart beating hard from the sudden awakening, Sora felt something was off. It was the middle of the night, but this time it wasn't a nightmare that had startled him awake so suddenly. Lightning lit up the room and not soon after, a bone-rattling thunder shook the walls. Outside his window a nasty storm was forming over the destiny islands. A big black cloud swirled and hovered over the small piece of land, and what trees the island _did_ have looked like they'd be torn from their roots at any moment by the strong grip of the winds.

"A storm?" Sora muttered. "Oh, no, the raft!"

The thought of something the Riku, Kairi, and Sora had worked so hard on together being destroyed was enough for Sora to race down to the island to make sure it was secure. Thankfully, the waters weren't as rapid as they would be during a storm, considering there was no rain, which was strange considering how dark the clouds engulfing the sky were.

Closer and closer it became clear that this was no ordinary storm. A large ball of—what looked like…fire?—turn slowly in the sky, emanating a dark power and creating an uneasy feeling deep within Sora. It was frightening, to say the least, nothing like this had ever crossed the Destiny Islands before and though it was night, the clouds covered the moon creating a distinct darkness that made the palms of Sora's hands sweat beneath his gloves.

The boy stared up at it watching, waiting, until bringing his head down to notice two wooden boats, small enough to fit only a single person. Sora recognized each of these, as he was the one who'd made them.

"Riku's boat. And Kairi's!"

The fact that Riku and Kairi's boat were here on the island meant that the two of them had come to this place during the storm as well, presumably to secure the raft, but with no sign of either of them anywhere, Sora was not so sure.

He stood there for a moment, squinting through the darkness trying to locate his friends. He figured he could check the shack or maybe the secret place as those places could secure some remote amount of shelter. He thought he should hurry too, the thought of Riku and Kairi huddled together to comfort each other from the effects of the storm was enough to make him dizzy, but certainly not enough to make him hallucinate.

Sora was wide awake—he was sure of that, but it seemed to him as though he'd stepped right into one of his nightmares. The shadows on the island seemed too real, almost as if they were alive, and as each one opened its eyes to reveal two bright yellow craters.

If it were any other day Sora would have whipped out his wooden sword and begun fighting with all his might, but even though the nightmares had seceded for one sleep didn't leave him any less exhausted from the previous nights of restlessness. He dodged his way through the nightmarish creatures, trying to find his way to the shack without tripping on sand. Just as he was about to push the wooden door open he saw a figure standing at the end of the bridged extension of islands. There was only one figure, and it was easy to judge—even from this darkness at this distance—that it was Riku. Riku.

Sora's heart began to race and he could feel a cold dryness for in his throat. His knees felt weak and his thoughts began to race.

_Riku, it's JUST Riku? Kairi's supposed to be here too, where is she? Why isn't she with Riku? Why wasn't she with _me_? Maybe she's in the shack maybe she's…she's…where is she? Where is she?_

Before he'd even finished his thought Sora found himself racing toward the figure he figured was Riku.

"Where's Kairi?" Sora demanded, "I thought she was with you!"

Sora didn't even give the poor boy a chance to turn around before he began to shout. Riku didn't need time to turn around though—he never did, as he began talking he kept his back to Sora, his eyes staring intently at the swirling ball of fire and darkness that swallowed the sky.

"The door has opened…"

"What?"

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kai-"

"Kairi's coming with us. Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see out parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be out only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

"Riku…"

At this time Riku turned around to face Sora. His face would be so calm and collected if it weren't for his eyes—widened ever so slightly to reveal an expression Sora had never seen before. Riku's cool green eyes staring into Sora's deep blue ones through the darkness that seemed to become thicker and heavier as time went on.

More shadows rose from the grown and though they never opened their eyes, Sora couldn't help but feel that the darkness was alive somehow. Forming a pool of black and purple matter around the two's feet, the large mass released its long arms into the air and began to dance around its guests. The corners of Riku's mouth curled up in a small smile and he extended his arm toward Sora, offering his hand.

Sora's eyes stretched wider than the vacant moon as the darkness crawled up his body and filled his shoes. The pool beneath him was so much thicker than water and it took no more for Sora to feel as though he was drowning. He'd die if he didn't take Riku's hand…just like in his nightmares. So with all his might he reached for his friend, the strength of the shadows trying to hold him down. He felt heavy, as if he was sinking into the ground, and the forces made his arm want to give up.

He reached and reached and he felt scared and terrified and numb. There was a brief feeling of static in his arms and legs before he was certain he'd lost feeling in them. With this numbness there was no way to tell if his hand had taken Riku's, for Sora kept his eyes locked on Riku's, which had changed from a haunting stare to a beckoning call. He looked so calm and Sora swore his heart had stopped as the darkness wrapped itself around his chest.

So he closed his eyes.

And he took a deep breath.

Their fingers entwined in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Kairi had a lot of spunk for a girl her age. She was the type who would have a lot of friends and be popular amongst the boys…if it weren't for her situation. Every so often you could hear the locals whisper about the mayor and his adopted daughter, the one who doesn't belong here; the one who doesn't actually do enough to be considered important; the one who would be better off if she'd found some friends; the one who doesn't know how to make any.

When she was younger, Kairi had spent most of her time on the beach collecting shells and fashioning them into different trinkets like necklaces and various charms as she watched the sunset and the birds fly to and from the not-so-far-off Destiny Islands. The islands were very close to the town and if you had a small raft you could probably sail there in no less than ten minutes. In the summer, Kairi met two boys with a wonky-looking wooden boat that would row themselves to the islands every morning and not come back until sunset. The truth is, it was actually a long time until Kairi actually _met_ these boys as she never had the courage to talk to anyone when she was younger.

It wasn't until one day when she was making a new seashell charm out of the prettiest shells she'd collected over the past week. She'd known this charm was lucky because as she had just finished placing the last part she heard a friendly voice over her shoulder.

"That's really pretty!"

It was one of the boys that go to the islands every day. He had a very sweet face and soft brown hair that stuck up in every direction and he wore the goofiest smile that brought out the sharpness of his deep blue eyes.

"Sora, boys don't say _pretty_!"

Behind him a tough looking boy with silver hair stand with crossed arms and pouted lips. He looked really irritated for some reason, but the boy he called Sora just kept smiling at Kairi. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wooden doll that somewhat resembled the silver haired boy, all was recognizable except for the expression which was calm and collected—not at all like the face the real version had on right now.

"I make things too. This is Riku."

"It doesn't look anything like me." Riku muttered.

"It looks cute!"

Kairi giggled. It would soon become a very familiar sound among the three of them. After Sora had invited her to the island with them she became a regular guest and Sora and Riku had become two of her most closest and dear friends. Her life was so complete, so simple, she would have never imagined a day where her life would be changed forever. However, it was night—not day, and her life certainly wasn't the only one that would be changing.

Kairi had been up far into the night, too excited about their trip to sleep. Soon, she and her friends would be leaving on a raft to discover new worlds. They had spent forever on the preparation and finally thought they were ready. Everything was perfect and Kairi knew she was ready. She gazed out the window and looked for tomorrow but it was still dark out, too dark. Not even the moon shine on the waters of the Destiny Islands.

A bolt of lightning split the sky, a storm was making its way over the islands. It was almost certain that the supplies Riku, Sora, and Kairi had gathered would be scattered, and weeks of hard work would be lost in a single night. Whether or not Riku or Sora were up at this time was a mystery, so Kairi thought it was her duty alone to secure the raft and the supplies with it. It hadn't started to rain yet, so the short trip to get there would not be too difficult. If she waited any longer then certain doom was sure to come.

The lucky charm Kairi had made when she was younger lay on her bedside table. It was the reason she had a raft out there to save. She grabbed the star shaped charm and rushed down to the beach. Two small personal boats were tied to the dock, pulling on the ropes that attached them, trying to float away to Destiny Islands. The winds grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. One of the boats was Kairi's, which meant that either Sora or Riku had already made their way toward the islands.

It was no doubt Sora who'd gone, it was just in his heroic personality to do something like this. And by the way his sleep patterns had been changing lately, there was no doubt he had been awake at this time of night.

When Kairi arrived at the islands she quickly located the raft through the darkness. Odd enough, it had not been secured yet. Picking up what supplies had been scattered, she hid them in a small cave-like crevice in the wall along with the raft to shield it from the winds. For further protection, she moved a large rock in front. Kairi wasn't strong for her age, but the loose sand and high winds did give her some advantage in moving the large object.

Though still quite calm, the waters across the shore became more rapid than before. If Kairi left now there's no telling what could happen on the way back. She needed to take refuge somewhere safe where the winds wouldn't threaten to sweep her off her feet. So she headed toward the secret place, a cave reachable through a small crawlspace behind the fountains.

Sora had shown her this place when they were little. He said Riku and him would come here all the time and draw on the walls with the rocks they found in the fountain, and since Kairi was his friend now too, she should draw something as well. They sat in the cave for most of the day doodling different things in different places. The very last thing they'd drawn was each other. Sora's drawing of Kairi wasn't _bad, _after all they were just kids, but to this day Kairi's still proud of her clean drawing of Sora, and it was probably Sora's fault. He went on and on about how amazing it was and that there was a real special place in her heart that had given her the gift of drawing. He went on and on until Kairi's sides hurt from laughing and her eyes had become tired from rolling them.

The air was stilled inside the cave and Kairi took the time to smooth down her hair and clothes. Glancing at the drawings she and Sora made when they were little she began to smile from the memories of their childhood, but her smile faded fast when she heard a noise behind her.

An old wooden door was placed at the back of the cave. It had never opened, and no one ever thought it did from its lack of doorknob and odd shape. Many thought it was just some driftwood that had embedded itself into the walls, or was part of the cave itself. No one thought it lead anywhere—there was no evidence that it did, so it was strange to find Riku trying to pry open the door with all his strength.

"Riku!" Kairi shouted, but he did not turn around. He focused all his energy on the task at hand and when he spoke it was through short grunted breaths.

"Kai—ri, give me—a—hand, why don't—you?"

"Riku, what are you—," Kairi was cut short. The door had flown open revealing an abyss darker than the moonless sky. A strong wind coming from within shot through the cave and Kairi raised her arms to shield herself from the darkness that began to fly out. Each shadow seemed to go around her. Slowly, Kairi raised her head to see Riku standing in front of the open door.

"What did you do, Riku?" Kairi demanded. The two were screaming, trying to be heard above the rushing winds.

"I opened it! I opened the door! Now we can go see the outside world, we can visit the place you came from! It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"No! I never wanted to leave the island. Riku, you were the one who—." Toppled over by a strong gust of wind, Kairi had lost sight of Riku. There was a pain in the back of her head through blur of her own vision she saw Riku standing over her with a menacing look on his face.

"You were never supposed to come here."

Everything went dark. As if she'd been sucked through the door into the darkness itself.


	4. Chapter 4

It was too dark to tell when Kairi had opened her eyes. She couldn't see her hand as she waved it in front of her face, and she couldn't feel the ground beneath her, if there was any at all. But all became clear as a small light from her chest began to glow. The necklace she'd worn since she was little—before she'd come to the island emitted a soft white that lit up the darkness of the cave around her.

Drawings her and her friends, Sora and Riku had done when they were little plastered the walls around her and a door that had once never been opened stood tall above the teen, leading the way into eternal darkness. Shadows raced out the door and out of the cave, stuck to the ground, passing right under Kairi's feet. She could feel them though, she could feel the cold touch of each demon and the sinking feeling that each one brought upon her make her sick. She touched the back of her head and winced slightly, dizzy still from her earlier fall.

Something had to be done about the door and whatever was escaping it. If it can be opened then it can be closed. At least that's what Kairi thought, but every step she took toward the door became more difficult than the last. The light from her necklace dimmed to a small shimmer that beat in pulse with her heart. She felt her body weigh down on her as each foot step became heavy in the sand. The currents felt numb on her face. Her feet had become too heavy to move, and the feeling in her arms had long gone.

So she couldn't tell when her fingers pressed against the wooden back of the door. And through her dimming, blurry vision, she couldn't tell when the shadows had ceased and the door shut close. And whether or not the numbing winds had stopped she never knew, but she could feel something was right—something had been fixed and she smiled and she knew she was because her cheeks _felt_ they were and she relaxed at the tingling sensation she could feel in her fingers. While she lifted her feet with ease and took two steps back.

She just needed to secure the raft and take shelter never would she have thought to end up in a situation like this, but everything was alright now. By this time the light in her necklace had completely gone out. She felt her body drop to its knees and the cold touch of the sand beneath her. In the still of the dark she heard her heart beat begin to calm and Kairi recalled the one person that might still be on the island with her.

_It's his fault that I had to…to…_

A loud crack of lightning shook the cave and the sand beneath knees. Her necklace began to glow again, not any brighter than before. As she rest in the cave, safe from whatever elements might be out there she began to pay less attention to its behavior. Every now and then the cave would become lit and she would gaze at the drawings on the wall only to be covered with darkness a moment later. It pulsed on and off like this for a while, she almost didn't notice the scratchy sand under her knees begin to shift out from under her. Grain by grain, it rolled out the cave entrance, slowly at first, then all at once until it took Kairi's balance from under her. At this time her necklace was lit and she stood up to dust herself off, looking back toward the entrance.

She thought maybe the winds had been pulling out the sand but the way it moved…it was too peculiar. She took small steps toward the mouth of the cave, trying to figure out what was going on. If the winds were this strong here, it was worrisome as to what was happening at the town. A noise behind her grabbed Kairi's attention. It was a short rattling sound that stopped as her head whipped around and came in contact with the door. Things were quiet for a while save for the soft sound of sand shifting beneath her feet and out the entrance.

She stand the waiting.

Watching.

When the door burst open with a vengeance and a gust of wind strong enough to carry Kairi back and out the entrance with the sand. Shadows spray from every direction, they filled the floors and smothered the walls. Kairi fell back first onto the ground of the fountain outside the cave. She inhaled more than one or two drops of water as she tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out from under her.

The state of the island was overwhelming even though there wasn't much to see, that was exactly the problem. Trees had been uprooted, the shack had been ripped straight from the ground, and there were various bits and pieces of the island missing. Literally missing, and more still began to disappear up into the air. It was the winds, it tore pieces of the island into the sky where a monstrous storm brew. A big black swirling storm of heat and lightning engulfed the sky. Kairi looked over to the dock which was expectedly gone along with her and Riku's boat but soon found herself staring back up at the thing that was consuming her world.

There was no turning back. The only safe place on the island was a haven no longer. Kairi realized she could no longer save herself and the only other person that could was nowhere to be found. Riku was long gone and even if he was here there's no way he'd be any more helpful than he was before. What was even trying to do? Why did he say those things to Kairi…what did he mean?

"_You were never supposed to come here."_

In any case, _he_ wasn't the one Kairi needed, nor was he the one she was looking for. But there was no telling whether or not Sora had been awoken by the storm, and the chances that he was awake and had decided to come out to the island in such a storm were dim.

And yet Kairi found herself speaking softly his name in the dark…

_Sora…_

…until the light from her necklace pulsed no more. What could a girl like her do? She'd lost two homes, who knew where she would end up next? Who knew if she lose her memories again? She couldn't remember anything from her previous town. The thought of forgetting her friends—forgetting Sora—was enough to pull a tear from her eye. So Kairi brought herself down to the sandy shore and tried to recall every day with Sora and Riku so they were fresh in her mind and she was less likely to forget.

Kairi sat on the shore and looked out toward the waters until there were none left.

She looked up to the sky and tried to find a nonexistent star to count.

She clutched her lucky charm close to her chest, hoping it would bring her friends back to her.

She could still see their smiles as the ground fell from beneath her.

And as everything else faded she kept their memories alive in her heart.


	5. Chapter 5

The Realm of Darkness was nothing but a path that float in the darkness, seemingly leading on forever. However, the darkness was no absolute in blackness. Shades of purple and blue emitted a soft light that lit up the corridor and lined the edges of the path. The soft light shone cool on the faces of two boys who had someway found their way in.

The youngest, Sora, was a kind hearted individual, he had a heroic personality and was quick to forgive, with bright blue eyes that lay closed—he was sound asleep on the floor of the Realm of Darkness. Older by only a year, Riku, lay next to him. Riku was a boy who was not afraid to go beyond his limits, he was cooler headed than his friend and the atmosphere seemed to suit him much more. His soft green eyes shot open and a harsh look fell upon his face.

Sora and Riku's fingers were laced together. When havoc came upon their home island Riku had offered a hand to Sora and took him into the darkness in order to save him from disappearing along with the Destiny Islands. The silver haired teen pulled hard at his hand and tried to break free. This jerked Sora who, thinking he was slipping away from his friend, tightened his grip.

"Let go of me!" Riku shouted. He tried to pierce through Sora with a harsh glare but to no avail. It was obvious that Sora's eyes were still adjusting to the darkness around them. By this time Riku had brought himself to his feet and was yanking hard Sora's arm. Sora, who was had been pulled up to his knees, grabbed onto Riku with his second hand, refusing to let go. His eyes had adjusted and he met them with Riku's—no, a stranger's.

"You're so annoying! I said let go!"

"Riku, what's gotten into you!?"

Sora's choice of words couldn't have been more appropriate. As they left his mouth, Riku had stopped pulling and straining against Sora's grip. His eyes widened as he fell to his knees, now level with Sora. Riku began choking and coughing violently. It was like he'd inhaled the ocean water and was trying to cough it out, but what came out of his mouth was in no way water. A black sludge fell from his lips and onto the ground beneath them. It slinked away off the path and fell into the darkness below.

"Riku!" Sora still held tight onto Riku's hand. He felt terrified watching his friend suffer and the noises that came from Riku were more than worrisome.

A few moments of silence passed and neither of the two said anything. Whatever was inside Riku was gone for now. The boy let out a few deep breaths and realized both of his hands were wrapped tightly around the whole of Sora's one hand. He was almost certain that it was Sora who had grabbed his hand with both. His hands trembled at how tightly had been holding onto Sora's hand. It had seemed so much like Sora was the one trying not to let _him_ go but in reality Riku feared nothing more than losing Sora, especially to the darkness he had brought him to.

Riku willingly succumbed to the darkness. He thought it'd keep him safe, so he wondered why it had begun playing tricks on him. He began to fear for Sora's safety as he wiped a bit of excess darkness from the corner of his mouth leftover from what was in him.

He loosened his grip on Sora, while still keeping one hand with his, Riku used the other to check his friend of darkness that may have snuck its way into the most important person to him. He was frantic, turning Sora's head this way and that, and he even lifted his necklace and looked between the messy tuffs of hair on his head.

"Are you alright? Sora, did you swallow any of the darkness?" Riku stopped and stared into Sora's eyes, not sensing anything different other than a slight fear mostly likely caused by Riku's darkness expulsing moment just a second ago.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Sora knocked away Riku's hand from his face, not sure of his close friend's current state. "What was that—thing—just now?"

"Darkness. While I did let the darkness consume us, I didn't think it was possible for us to consume darkness."

"Do that thing just now…that was the darkness? Is that what took our island?"

"What matters now is that we're safe—that you're safe. Okay?"

Sora didn't say anything. Instead his head dropped to the ground and Riku felt Sora's fingers loosen their grip on his.

"Hey, Riku…what you said just now. Do you think I'm annoying?"

"Of course not! Why would you—"

"But you said it. When you had the darkness inside you, you—"

"Listen, Sora. Whatever I said when I was being controlled by the darkness _I said while being controlled by the darkness. _Anything I said to you tonight—I didn't mean it."

Sora's head shot up and his eyes met Riku's, but surprisingly they had no sense of being relieved anywhere in them. Instead, a harsh glare plagued his face. For a moment Riku thought the darkness must've gotten into Sora just now, but he didn't see it and he wasn't sure that was exactly what had happened. Especially not with what came out of Sora's mouth next.

"Then what about Kairi? You said Kairi was coming with us! I guess you didn't mean that then, did you?"

Riku thought back to when he last saw Kairi and he winced at Sora. He knew Sora would be unhappy. When he'd opened the door and a gust of black wind had entered his mouth. It wasn't his fault—he couldn't do anything about it and yet he found himself responsible for whatever Sora was feeling at that moment.

"Sora…I'm sorry."

Although Sora was one who was quick to forgive, Riku wasn't so sure he would ever want to look him in the eyes again. He felt it inappropriate to still be holding his friends hand now that the obvious danger had gone so he slowly let his hand slip from Sora's, not expecting the fast reaction of Sora's sudden tight grip.

"No! Please don't let go! We'll get Kairi back. We'll find her, but you just can't…you can't let go of my hand."

It was obvious that Sora was fighting back tears now, whether from the thought of losing Kairi, Riku's hand leaving or a combination of both. It didn't take long for Riku to figure out why Sora was acting like this. On any other occasion a playful rivalry would simmer between them, but now—not that Riku was complaining—Sora couldn't seem to be less ashamed of his tight fixation on Riku's touch. It didn't take long for Riku to recall that Sora's sleep patterns had been changing dangerously lately and he was almost certain Sora had been babbling about a nightmare he'd had when they were on the beach earlier that day.

"Sora, you've been having trouble sleeping lately, right?"

"Well yeah, but I haven't been tired since I came here."

"Were you having any…nightmares?"

Riku didn't want to provoke anything. He only wanted to talk about them if Sora didn't mind. He wasn't sure whether or not Sora would cry this time around if he scared him again.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. Just so long as I don't let go of your hand."

"Why my hand?"

"Well, in my nightmares I see either you or Kairi, and you're just standing there, reaching your hand out to me. It's always sunset or night time and I always reach out to grab your hand but—"

"But?"

"You know how when you're trying to run in a dream and you just—can't? For whatever reason you're not fast enough, no matter how hard you're trying? Well it was like that, and I couldn't reach either Kairi's or your hand. Then suddenly I'd find myself falling backward or sometimes I'd just sink down. Last time a wave came and swept me away from you so that's why—that's why—"

Sora's voice became hurried toward the end and he squeezed Riku's hand in his own.

"That's why I can't let go of your hand. I feel like if I do, I'll lose you."

Riku looked down at Sora whose head rest against his chest.

He couldn't be sure if he was crying.

He couldn't be sure if it was his fault.

He couldn't be sure if he felt it—the sudden pounding in his chest as his heart beat sped up.

Alone in the darkness with the boy he'd loved since before he even knew he did. Riku ran a hand through the mess of hair and tears that was Sora. His voice whispered through the dark a promise to not let go of his hand and almost like an echo, Sora repeated the words.

A promise to never let go.


	6. Chapter 6

There wasn't much to do in The Realm of Darkness. Nothing to do but sleep, which is just what the two boys covering in shadows did. Their hands now forever entwined, Sora slept soundlessly next to Riku, who could do all but sleep at the moment. He wasn't sure if it was evening or if morning had already come, and never felt tired in this place. It was hard to tell, in this land of eternal night, whether the sun had risen or not back on their home, the Destiny Islands. A sudden flash of realization came upon Riku.

_Of course there's no sun on the islands. There's no _islands_ for the sun to shine _on_. _

And Riku couldn't help but feel it was his fault—no—he _knew_ it was his fault. The day before they'd plan to sail on their raft, Riku and Kairi set out to gather supplies around the island. There were a couple of mushrooms on the list so they decided to split that part among the two of them. Kairi had found the first two so Riku was in charge of the last. He looked everywhere around the island for another mushroom and finally found it in the secret place—a cave that he used to draw on the walls with Sora when they were children.

He looked around, somewhat annoyed at the fact that it wasn't just his and Sora's drawings that marked the wall anymore, but Kairi's too. He always felt it unfair that Kairi was Sora's favorite. It's not like he couldn't see why, Kairi was a good friend, but that was all she was to Riku. And more than that was she to Sora. And Sora to Riku…

The mushroom was sitting in the furthest corner of the cave next to some dead tree branches. He plucked it from the ground and flinched when he heard a sound behind him, and instantly took a stance. He did look a bit ridiculous, where his wooden sword would have been he held a mushroom, as though it would provide some strength to him against a probably attacker. But the stranger in the back of the cave, toward the large wooden door, did not laugh. He did not—seemingly, have a face at all. A brown, oversized cloak covered his body and a hood was pulled down over his head.

"Where did you come from?" Riku demanded, but the stranger paid no mind to Riku's questions.

"I've come to see the door to this world." His voice was quiet, raspy, and sounded somewhat detached.

"That's not what I asked you. Who are you?"

"This world has been connected. Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed."

"Yeah? Well, you've seen your door. Now, get out of here, whoever you are!"

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door."

"Wait, are you from another…world?"

"There is so very much to learn. What you choose to understand is up to you."

"This door, does it lead to the outside world? Can it be opened?"

"A worthwhile effort. You who knows nothing might be able to understand…something. Unconventional boy, you are so different from the other."

"The…other?"

Puzzled enough by the stranger's words, Riku dropped his guard. He looked over to the large wooden door next to him. It had always been a dream of his to leave the islands. Ever since he was a small boy, that's what he wanted to do. Saying he wanted to leave for Kairi's sake and find out where she came from was just an excuse. He knew perfectly well that Kairi was happy on the Destiny Islands, yet he could never admit the real reason he wanted to leave.

In the moment that Riku had let his eyes wander from the stranger to the door, the figure that stood nearby had seemingly vanished, leaving Riku alone in the cave that begged to drag him into a state of childhood nostalgia. He gave one last long look at the door. If this world really was connected, and that door was lead to the outside world then…then…He decided he'd come back later that night and see for himself what secrets lie beyond the 'door to this world.'

It was a mystery as to how long Riku had been lost in his thoughts. Being stuck in the Realm of Darkness was something very dull. With only thoughts and dreams to entertain you, Riku clenched a fist at the memories that visited him. Sora groaned at the sudden tight grip and stirred in his sleep. Riku did not relax his hand at this. It was _he_ who opened the door for his own selfish reasons. What a waste, as he never got to see what was beyond it. Now he was who-knows-where, a place Riku still didn't know was safe or not.

"Riku, are you alright?"

Sora had awoken, all groggy. He rubbed his eyes with a free hand and looked over at Riku whose whole body had clenched up.

"I'm sorry to have put you in this position, Sora."

"Well, I'm alright. And I know nothing bad will happen to me…" He let out a long yawn. "…because you'll be here to protect me. And nothing bad will happen to you, because I'll be here to protect—_yawn_—you." Sora's words were calming and Riku relaxed and messed Sora's already messy hair.

"I know you will."

The smooth of Riku's glove ran over the calloused tips of Sora's fingers. Sora was a bit of an amateur carpenter, he'd made Riku's wooden practice sword when they were little; it was good and strong, and it had held up to the very day. He'd even made the canoes they used to ride to and from the Destiny Islands; boy, had that taken him a while, but he'd made those things years ago and the callouses on his skin would've gone away by now. Riku turned Sora's hand over in his own and noticed small, fresh blisters on the sides of his fingers.

"Sora, do you still make things with wood? Your hands are rough like you've been working."

Sora muttered an 'oh,' and readjusted his position so he was sitting straight up and no longer slouching from sleep. He blushed a little and searched the ground for something to say.

"I uh...I thought since the three of us were going to leave the island I might as well make something to show our friendship, or something. Y'know since Kairi's always making those charms and what not."

"You made something for the three of us?"

Riku's heart beat at the thought of receiving something hand crafted from Sora. The only thing that had been for him specifically from Sora was the wooden sword which he cherished so dearly. The boat was not made for him, but for Kairi and Sora himself. When Kairi came around, one boat wasn't enough—and when they got older, two wasn't enough.

"Well…I mean, I made something for _Kairi_, but—"

Sora stopped midsentence, no doubt pondering the whereabouts of his dearly beloved. When he didn't continue Riku ran his thumb over Sora's overturned hand. This seemed to bring him back up, if only a little bit. Sora reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small wooden figure. It was smooth and perfect unlike his other carvings which were often hacked into jagged  
"close-enough's" that were made out of whatever wood he could scrap together. But no, this one was an ashy gray the color of destiny and Riku recognized it instantly.

"Sora, is that wood from the paopu tree?"

"Yeah, I made it special."

Sora had brightened even more, but Riku's mood was dwindling as he soon realized the figure was a small replica of Kairi. An intricate design of a seven-pointed sun, carefully painted a rose color, was carved into the body, which was shaped like a star. A star similar to that of the fruit of the paopu tree. It was common knowledge that if two people share the fruit of the tree their destinies will become intertwined.

"I just…I wish I could've given it to her."

"Don't worry, Sora. We'll find her." Riku said through gritted teeth. He was jealous, without a doubt, but he kept it concealed. He just wanted Sora to be happy.

"I made one for you too, Riku."

"Huh? But you said you'd only made one for Kairi."

"Well, I mean, I _made_ you one a looong time ago."

Riku's interest was piqued as he watched Sora reach again into his pocket and pull out another small wooden figure. This one was bigger and crudely carved. The wood was old and withered and looked like it was about to fall apart. Sora put the small figure on the ground next to the replica of Kairi. It made a louder thump when he placed it, so it was no doubt a heavier wood than the light wood of the paopu tree. A calm expression was worn across the Riku replica. The hair was jagged and the face was of the most mediocre of shapes, but something welled up inside Riku when he saw it—the carving that Sora had made at least ten years ago…he'd kept it all this time.

"It looks exactly like me," Riku smiled and paused for a bit before realizing something. "Sora, where's yours?"

"Mine?"

"You didn't make one of yourself? You selfless brat!" Riku dropped a firm hand onto Sora's head.

"He-hey! That's not my fault! I just forgot is all."

"_How_ do you forget yourself? Come on." Riku picked up the wooden dolls and pulled Sora to his feet and began dragging him down the shadowy path.

"Where're we going?"

It didn't take long for Riku to find what he was looking for: a tree. He stood with a hand on his hip, looking up very pleased as he wasn't sure if this place had trees. In fact, he'd almost missed it. It could've been the lack of light, but the bark of the tree seemed a very dark gray, or even black like the darkness surrounding it.

"Here."

"Here?"

"Sora, this is a tree."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Sora, are trees made out of?"

"…wood."

"Yes. Yes they are."

"Riku, what exactly are you getting at?"

Riku held the doll replicas of himself and Kairi up for Sora to see.

"What are these, Sora?"

"I know what they are Riku, I _made_ them."

"These are your friends, Sora. What is missing?"

Sora let out an exaggerated groan. It was obvious Sora was tired of Riku beating around the bush and Riku couldn't help but noticed and stifle a laugh.

"Why not make a figurine of yourself?

"_Riku._" Sora continued his tone of exaggeration. "I can't just _make _them. I'm not some machine that just pumps out figurines whenever someone wants."

"But Sora, the dolls need their friend, _Sora._"

Riku shook his hands to make it seem like the dolls were talking. He made his voice lower than it necessarily had to be for his own doll.

"_Where's Sora?"_ He made the Riku replica ask. His voice became extremely high pitched and girly for his voicing of the Kairi replica. "_I miss Sora_!" He made it say, and which did not elicit the chuckle of laughter he expected from Sora, it did leave a small—and rather adorable—pout on the boy's face.

"_Sora! Sora? He must have left us_!" The Riku replica asked.

"_NOOoo!_" screamed the Kairi replica dramatically before sniffling and sobbing out the words "_he must not LOVE US_."

Sora grabbed the dolls from Riku's hand and shoved them back in his pocket.

"Alright fine, _fine_! I'll make a replica doll of me, just don't…" Sora looked away from Riku to the ground. Although his face wasn't visible, a blush was apparent on his ears. Riku's heart nearly stopped before he realized Sora wasn't blushing from anger or embarrassment—and no, not even from a sudden realization of undying love for his silver haired friend, though a boy can dream—but from trying to hide an uncountable amount of laughter. "Just don't make those voices again!" Sora shouted through an outburst of laughter.

"Alright, okay. I get it." It was Riku's turn to blush as he scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Sora was laughing uncontrollably now and was almost in tears before he picked himself back up and turned his attention to the tree that was to become the subject of his next project.

"Well," Sora said. He turned to Riku, flashing his big blue eyes and his silly grin up at him. "Better get started!"

Because if there was one thing they had in this desolate darkness…

…was time.


	7. Chapter 7

While Sora whittled away on a piece of wood Riku had gathered for him he couldn't help but smile from his prolonged laughter. Riku was always teasing Sora playfully no matter the occasion, but sometimes he would get just a little goofy as well. However, Sora did not know that Riku was only like that around _him_. He figured it his personality as a whole since that's the only way he ever saw Riku act. Sora was a dork 24/7 though, so he never gave something much more thought than it required or should have required.

The warmth of Riku's body against his back as he leaned over him was comforting in the coldness of this Realm of Darkness. It was decided that, since Sora needed both hands to carve, he'd be find if Riku still kept his grip on Sora somehow. Riku's hands lay on the tops of Sora's shoulders as he leaned over to watch him work idly at making a replica doll that look more or less like the blue eyed boy who held it. Sora felt Riku's breath by his ear as he lean closer for a better look through the darkness. It was hard to work enough as it was with the lack of lighting but Riku's position over him was a bit distracting and a blush of red crossed his face and deepened over time until Riku was able to see it on his ears.

"Sora, you okay? You're shaking a little."

"Well of course I am! It's embarrassing—I've never carved anything in front of anyone before."

"Should I move?"

"No! If you do—"

"I know. Don't worry, I've still got you."

Sora felt Riku's body leave his back for a moment and a small tinge of panic began to settle into his skin. But Riku's hands did not leave him. Instead, they slid across his back and into the hood of his jacket. He felt his hood be outturned, and with a hand still hanging onto it he felt Riku's back settle against his. With his friend's eyes no longer on him he was able to be a little less self-conscious about his work and continued to work, his blush subsided and his hands no longer shook—as much.

"Thanks, Riku." Sora paused and laughed, feeling to strike up a conversation while he carved, now that any awkward eye contact and distractions were out of the way.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just, those _voices_ you did." Sora laughed again.

"H-hey! I can be funny sometimes."

"I know. You're always playing pranks and joking around."

This time it was Riku's turn to laugh, and Sora felt his strong back shake against his. "Like when I said we'd name the raft _highwind_."

"_Pfft_, yeah. That name would be better suited for an airship than a small raft like ours. Oh! Or that time you wanted to race me and said that the winner would share a paopu with Kairi, and of course who would win but you."

Riku was silent for a while and the only think that echoed through the corridors was the sound of wood being shaved, but that too, stopped when Sora received no reply from Riku.

"You didn't…actually want to share a paopu with Kairi, right? That was…a joke, right?"

"Sora, remember when you lost? I went and I got a paopu, and I wound up giving it to you anyway."

"So you weren't going to share one with her in the first place?"

"Nope."

"T-then you gave _me_ one. Does that mean that…you wanted me—"

Sora stammered and his face flushed a deep red. He was sure Riku could feel him quivering against him, but the thought was just so embarrassing.

"Y-you wanted me…and Kairi to—to—" By this point Sora was blubbering and his words came out so, "R-riku! Yuh such uh goo—d fwend!" Then he dropped the act and his voice became low and serious as he whispered a snide remark toward his friend, as if there was someone around who could possibly listen in. "But Riku, isn't that a bit weird? Hooking up your two best friends? I mean, I appreciate it but it kind of makes to seem like a….pervert."

"Sora."

"Yeah?"

"You're such a dork."

Sora could heat Riku's words through a smile and he got back to work on his replica doll. It was coming along nicely despite the lack of light, and the conversation he'd just had had gotten him thinking about paopus, so the body turned out a rather nice star shape like the others. The hair was difficult as the wood wasn't exactly soft and the points came out rather jagged. It was remarkable how spot on the hair was similar to his, but he did rather wish he was working with softer wood. For a finishing touch he carved the shape of a crown into the torso. He didn't have anything to paint it with at the moment. He'd carved a sun into Kairi's doll and carefully painted it a beautiful purple. And the black painted straps on Riku's doll had all but faded over the years but he shrugged the lack of paint and turned toward the real Riku behind him, whose hand was still in his hood.

Riku's hand flowed naturally from his hood to his hand without ever taking his touch away. Sora was thankful how careful Riku was at making him feel safe and there was nothing he would've asked more of him at the very moment. Except perhaps…one thing. Sora looked at the doll that had come into existence because of the boy in front of him. His eyes moved from the doll to Riku's eyes and then his lips. Sora's voice was low and serious and caught his friend a little off guard.

"Riku…"

"Y-yeah?"

"I need you to do something very important."

"Sure…y-you name it."

"I _need_ you to do a voice for the Sora doll!" Sora whined.

"What!? I thought you were gonna ask for something serious!"

"This is serious." Sora said again in a very serious tone before breaking back down to a whine. "_Pleeaaase! _Riku, the other ones you did were so _good._"

"You told me to never do them again!"

"Only 'cause I didn't want to die of laughter. _pleeaasse_."

"Fine!"

Riku snatched the doll away from Sora and moved it around while he spoke. His voice was winey and high pitched and Sora could've sworn his doll had been given a higher voice than that of Kairi's.

"_Riku! You pervert! Riku, don't name the raft _highwind_! Riku, stop it_!"

"Riku stop it!" Sora cried, almost at the same time as the doll. The action warranted a big grin across Riku's face while Sora pouted and blushed, clearly trying not to laugh himself but clearly still upset about his mockery. Sora reached for the doll and Riku held him back with a well-placed foot that pressed against his torso. It was an awkward position, no doubt, as Riku tried to get farther, Sora begged to get closer all while the two tried not to let go of each other's hands. "I do _not _sound like that!"

"_I do _not_ sound like that_!" Riku made the doll say. "See? It's practically you."

"It doesn't sound a thing like me!"

"It sure does look like you though. You got the hair perfect." Riku inspected the replica closer, turning it around in his hand. The two of them had relaxed their position and Sora checked his chest for a foot print. "Yep, it'd look _exactly_ like you if it weren't for the weird black wood you used."

"It's the wood you told me to use."

"_It's the wood you told me to use_."

"Riku, stop it!"

"Hey Sora, are you saying I gave you wood?"

"You pervert."

"_Riku, you pervert_!"

Their laughter echoed down the dark halls as they played with the small replicas. They reenacted scenes from their island, from their childhood, and from the would-be future. Riku was persistent that he would marry Kairi for sure, but it was almost certain that he was saying that to tease Sora. There was no way to count the minutes or hours they spent together, but lost in each other's company none of them really cared about the time anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

Sora and Riku had had enough of sleeping, though the darkness was perfect for it, they did not feel like wasting all their time. Riku had suggested to Sora that they get walking and look for Kairi to which Sora reluctantly obliged and the two of them had set off hand in hand into the never ending darkness. The further they wandered the colder it seemed to get and their island clothes were nothing to combat the chill of the air.

"R-riku. It's k-kinda c-c-cold." Sora chattered out. He did have a jacket, though it was short sleeved. For a while now though, Sora had been trying not to complain about the cold, seeing as there was nothing he or Riku could do about it, especially since he might be better-off than his friend who was sporting a muscle shirt that did not come with sleeves, not even short ones. But he did have muscle, and Sora complaining to wonder whether or not that kept him insulated or not. After a while he decided it did and that it was no fair Riku should be warmer than him even though he was dressed more modestly, and took to complaining again.

"_Rikuuuuuuu._" He whined. Riku stopped, which Sora didn't expect and he hoped he hadn't annoyed him too much. He saw Riku's hand reach behind him and he felt the hood of his jacket come down onto his head, pressing his stuck-up hair down against his forehead. When he tried to look up he was greeted by the warmth of Riku's body, his free hand still pressed firmly on top of his hood.

"I'm not entirely cold, but I don't have a jacket I could give you anyway. You'll just have to settle for this."

"This is fine, I guess." Sora mumbled. It'd be awkward if Sora hadn't been about a head shorter than Riku, as his neck was stuck in a looking up position as he did not expect Riku's sudden embrace. But he was getting uncomfortable and wiggled a bit of room so he could move his head back down. The bridge of his nose was pressed against Riku's chest and he could feel the beat of his heart through his clothes. It was strong like the rest of Riku and he pouted because it was no wonder he always lost to Riku in races and battles. When Sora's body temperature had become the same as Riku's he pushed him away and the two began walking again.

"Riku, you have muscles."

"Thanks for noticing."

"No, I mean, how did you _get_ them?"

"It's because it takes a lot of strength to put up with you all day."

"Oh ha-ha."

Riku came to a sudden halt and when Sora kept walking confused he felt a firm pull on his arm and was brought back about a foot. He nearly bumped into Riku—not that he would knock him over—wondering what was going on, but the answer soon became apparent as he followed Riku's gaze to the road ahead.

Or rather, the road a head that _would _be there. A large gap broke the path and even as hard as Sora squint his eyes, he could not see the other end through the darkness. A cold shiver settled back into his skin as he turned toward Riku for an answer.

"We're going to have to find another way around."

"What are you talking about? There's only _one_ path."

"Then maybe this is the end."

"This can't be the end!"

A loud grumbling sound erupted behind them and a shadow cast over them in the dark where they stand. Sora and Riku whipped their heads around to be greeted by a monstrous figure that towered over them. Its wings were sharp and of the devil and its thick black locks tangled around the face leaving only a pair of bright yellow eyes to stare them down. Most peculiar, though, was the torso, as a large hole lay gaping through it. A hole in the shape of a heart.

There was nowhere to run. The path ahead of them was gone and the path behind them was blocked. Sora's hand was squeezed tight into Riku's grip and Sora tightened his too, fearful as to what might happen if they let go at this moment. Both of the boys stood still, frozen where they stand in the cold darkness.

For a while, the shadow did nothing but stare them down. It looked from Riku to Sora to Riku again and lifted a great clawed hand above its head slowly, as its mass seemed to slow it down some. Sora could feel his heart pounding in his chest strong and hard and he felt Riku's hand tremble in his own. It was the most terrifying part of the moment; that the one who'd been so strong for so long would show any sort of weakness in front of him now.

The hand of the monster came down fast, gravity acting hard upon its appendage. Sora tried to run forward but was stopped. He looked back to see Riku had frozen in place. His mouth hung open in fear of the large creature and his eyes were wide with horror. Sora cried out for Riku but it was almost as if he could no longer hear the cries of his friend.

The shadow over them became larger, the claw was coming down fast. Maybe it was just the spur of the moment, or maybe it was the hero in Sora acting on its own accord, because one thing's for sure, that hand never hit Riku. But there was some shock of impact that woke him from his trance. Sora stared wide-eyed into his friend's eyes which held a fear that he'd never seen before. Their fingers which were to never be untangled loosely came part as Riku fell into the abyss beyond the broken path and Sora stayed left behind.

The pain was unimaginable and the cry that left Sora's mouth was horrific. It echoed off the distant walls of the dark cavern as the large black claw tore through Sora's body. He swore he could feel it inside him, taking everything he was away. In one swell swipe the shadow had entered and left his body. Still intact, Sora clutched his hand to his chest and his eyes fell heavy along with the rest of him. He came to his knees at the edge of the broken path, falling forward after the friend whose life he hoped he had saved. And how he hoped that he'd saved him.

He wasn't sure if it were the darkness, or if his eyes had merely closed to where he could not reopen them, but the fact that he couldn't see Riku was distressing. Sora's hand was went cold as the lingering touch of Riku faded.

He panicked.

He was falling.


End file.
